Valkyrie's wings
by Not Jack Frost
Summary: A world where magic is non-existent. Or is it? A threat that is imminent. Maybe it can be stopped? A journey that will decide the fate of the world has begun. A Valkyrie and her group of Einherjar set out to fulfill their destiny. Ch.1 edited
1. Chapter 1

**Valkyrie's Wings. Chapter One. "I'm a new soul."**

You never know when life decides that, 'hey, you, why don't you just go and become something else'. We all know that miracles never happen. We all know that fairytales don't just _poof_ and become reality. We know that the days of knights and crusades had passed long ago and that magic never was. And yet... we all dream. Dream, hope, believe that at least once, maybe for a second or two, we can experience the thrill of it all.

Some people find an alternative. Look at the fans of fantasy: board games based on role-play, real-life meetings and campaigns involving wooden swords and armour, video games, movies... The list goes on and on...

_"You summoned me, my lord?"_

_"Indeed I have. Although Ragnarok had been postponed and the Worlds are at peace, there is a new threat."_

_"Tell me what I must do and will go at once, my liege."_

And the world changes. Never underestimate the power of The Sea of the Mass-Unconsciousness. People's souls yearn for change and it comes. Barriers between worlds are weakened by the unending pleas. Magic is an ever expanding substance and even through minimal breaches in the fabric of space it flows into worlds where it's density is lowest.  
_  
"Now, now. Enough of the titles. I am but a mere ruler. You, Valkyries, are the true holders of the world's fates."_

_"I understand..."_

_"I am only here to guide you in your first steps, just like a father would do."  
_

And nobody notices. Simply because they look, but can't _see_. Absorbed in their daily trials and tribulations, a dreamer is nothing but a dreamer after all. One who calls forth the blessing of the World Tree, but does not truly believe in his dreams, much more, actually _live _his dream... And so, the blessing accumulates, becomes stagnant and rots. Its nature rebels and becomes a new entity.

_"You are the Valkyrie of this World, its guardian. The Sovereign Rite chose you to be awakened at this time of change."_

Of course, everything in _our _world needs a shape, a vessel. And the blessing finds a host. Only it can no longer be called a blessing. 'That which does not grow, falls into decay'. It feeds on fear, hatred, despair and becomes tainted. Ironically, this would eventually cause the magic to flow, shift and mix, creating a cycle. But, alas, it will be too late.

_"Purify the source?"_

_"Yes, but even with your power it is impossible to do alone. Go. Gather the souls of the deceased. Strong souls. Souls, to which you won't hesitate to entrust your existence – your Einherjar. The undead have yet to fully develop on this plain of reality. Purify them. Train your Einherjar to do so. The very source of the decay is not far from awakening. You must become stronger before it does."_

And so, a new chapter of history begins. The gods of old have never intervened with the flow of Fate's endless river. This will change. The gods aren't allowed to meddle with this world's destiny.

Destiny herself will rise...

_"Go, Valkyrie. Go, Sonata. The last hope of Earth's souls..."

* * *

_

When man grew wings of iron and took off to the skies... No... When man laid eye on the world below from the height of an eagle's flight, he thought nothing could surpass this magnificent view. And when he was able to witness the sunrise from _above _the clouds – he realized how heaven must have looked like. Right here, above the stainless wool of the sky's sheep, the story truly begins.

The materialization of a goddess is nothing spectacular. When the fabric of space ripples and _she_ emerges, the sky doesn't light up nor does thunder announce her arrival. She is just... there. And her presence is nothing close to divine. In the way humans imagine it anyway. This type of goddess is special. To hear the call of a soul, one must be the same. One must understand. One must experience his own final breath...

Ethereal wings of pure light, dyed crimson and gold by the setting sun. A suit of light armour, white with ornaments of red. A helmet adorned with feathers and underneath it - a mane of wavy auburn brown hair, just past shoulder-length. This was the newborn Valkyrie – Sonata. In her present state, nobody would dare to doubt her divine origin. However, the ability to wander among the living is essential to a Valkyrie's duty. If Sonata had decided to shed her battle attire at this very moment... Her mortal body didn't have the chance to age past seventeen... This wasn't a fragile mortal existence anymore. Her past had nothing to do with the duty bestowed upon her by the hands of Destiny. It was time to put her talent to use.

Every soul has a melody. For a Valkyrie - the world is like an orchestra. Each instrument plays its part. Although, this gathering of instruments isn't particularly organized. A chaotic, melodic, sometimes off-tune and unorganized unison of sounds. Despite being a complete oxymoron, this description was the most accurate. The soul shines brightest the closer to death. And that particular 'solo', that desperate requiem was her cue. A melody playing louder than most. One that told her about the will to live, the passion of dreams... There it was! To the west! Yes... this city... Again..! Near the very edge, where houses mixed with the surrounding wilderness... Something else is nearby... Was. Undead? No – finally at rest...

And so the Valkyrie listened. Listened to the melody being played by a lonely piano...

...I _was a dreamer my whole life. My first memory? It's as if it happened just yesterday. My grandfather used to tell me and my brother stories. Not your typical childish tales though. They were all true, or at least most of them. Stories of my ancestors. Valiant knights and mercenaries alike, who dedicated their lives to hone the art of swordsmanship..._

_...The invention of gunpowder turned battles into pathetic imitations..._

_...I was laughed at... They thought my hobby was funny... Leave writing to real writers, they said. Heh, in the end, they were the first ones in line to get an autograph on the cover of their newly-bought book..._

_...I like swords. I can't resist buying a rare unit when I see it on sale. When I turned thirty a few months ago, the dagger I received from my publisher upped my collection to a number equal to four times my age..._

_..."What do you mean 'next week'?!"  
"You signed a contract. If you don't turn in a manuscript by the end of this month..."  
"I know, I know. I'm working on it, alright?"..._

_...Swing. Step. Turn. Step. Slash. The weight of the weapon in my hands is so familiar. The pride of my collection, given to me by Grandfather himself. A Mähne. German for 'mane'. A sword used back in the days when cavalry was the main force on the battlefield. Cavalry are weak on the side of their unarmed hand because they cannot freely swing their sword with their mount's head obstructing them. Thus, the double-bladed sword was born. Like two great swords joined together at the hilt. The knight didn't even have to swing it. They would simply drop the weight on the enemy and the weight would kill them. A devastating weapon._

_"Wow, uncle Albert, you're strong!"_

_"Yeah! When I grow up, I want to be like you!"_

_My two nephews. It's impossible to tell them apart. Sometimes they're just plain creepy, acting on a whim, but both doing or saying the same thing. They grew up reading my books, despite my efforts to keep them from doing so. Although, I should be glad that they actually read something aside the books listed in the school program..._

_...When I heard the kids screaming outside, I was paralyzed by the pure terror that the screams contained. Without thinking I rushed outside, grabbing the Mähne from its shelf on instinct. What awaited me outside was something even my weird imagination could not... well... imagine...  
_  
_...This wasn't right. I heard that there were wolves in these woods, but never actually seen one. This, this... creature was a wolf at one point, I'm sure of it. 'Was' being the keyword here. It shouldn't have been possible, but this corpse was walking... Despite the bones shining from beneath its skin, despite chunks of flesh just fucking falling off in mid-step. And the abomination wasn't alone. At least six undead canines in __my back yard..._

_...I'm afraid. I can't go on like this for long. An actual fight is different from practice. What was I thinking when I wrote all those battles?! Swinging a sword is hard work. If I live through this, I'm going to re-think my writing habits regarding these types of scenes... These goddamn dogs are tenacious. Since they're dead – they don't feel pain. And pain is what normally causes wild animals to cease attacking and retreat. Just my luck..._

_...Three down. And I don't think I can last any longer. These fuckers are fast. Really agile. And blood loss is catching up with me. I don't see as clearly as should... Feeling dizzy, disoriented... No. I have to win. If not for my life, then for the two kids, my own nephews, cowering in fear somewhere behind me. If my ancestors willingly risked their lives to protect people... so am I..._

_...It's done... The wolves are dead... More dead than they were half an hour ago... And it looks like I'll be joining them... I should have put more effort into training... But... I'm a writer, not a warrior... I did my best and, in a way, I won... I... I want to live, damn it! I'm... At least I can enjoy my final sunset... So beautiful... And... I think I see an angel...  
_

That was it. The melody had ended abruptly. An untimely death, but a noble one. This soul was more than perfect to become an Einherjar. The Valkyrie descended, taking her first steps upon the mortal world. It was a familiar feeling... Once, she was just like those kids, who at the moment were trying to rouse the fallen man... They did not notice her. A Valkyrie can't be seen by a normal person unless she wishes so. Sonata sensed their sorrow and was torn between two decisions... She could make them forget, but... somebody must tell the story of this brave soul to others... Yes, they are still young. The impact on their psyche was strong, but a child's memory was flexible. The Valkyrie decided to alter their memories only the slightest bit, reducing the trauma and letting the details resurface over time.

Now that the children were taken care of, Sonata could focus on her main task. The skill of retrieving a soul is an instinct that was born along with her. She turned to the still warm body. This man was tall and had the physique of a warrior. If she hadn't seen it herself, she would've never believed that this mortal was a mere writer. Yes, handling that double-bladed sword required a lot of strength. Both upper body - to swing - and lower - to sustain balance. Was an interest in swordsmanship really enough motivation to diligently pursue this lost art? Shrugging off her confusion, Sonata knelt down besides the body. It had deep wounds and bite marks all over, easily visible due to the shredded attire. Tracing a hand over the man's features and through his messy dark hair, for the first time she pronounced the words, coming from the very depth of her soul:

"Arise, Albert! Come to me, my noble Einherjar!"

The soul answered her call. Once again, its melody resumed. A small flame, no larger than candle's flickering warmth, emerged from the fallen man's chest and flew towards the discarded Mähne. A ghostly shape, made of scarlet threads, started to materialize. At first – only a hand, hovering above the weapon's grip. Slowly it took shape of a middle-aged man, an exact copy of the one lying on the ground. No, not a copy, the Valkyrie thought. This was his new self.

For a second, the man known as 'Albert' was perfectly calm. The Valkyrie watched his behavior closely. After all – this _was _her first time creating an Einherjar. And by the looks of it, the process was successful. Meanwhile, the man decided not to pick up his weapon and stood up. That's when he noticed his own body slowly cooling down on the grass... As expected, his first reaction was to back away... and trip on the blade behind him. After staring at 'himself' for a minute or two, he finally noticed the woman in white armour. Immediately he sprung to his feet, as if trying to overwrite the possible first impression he had created.

"You called?"

And this is when Sonata finally realized what was that oddity she sensed about his soul. It belonged to a child. This wasn't a mistake on her behalf – materialization went without a hitch. This was the Einherjar's true self. Once again, the Valkyrie had to shrug off a feeling similar to confusion.

"Yes, it was I," she replied.

"And you are a... what?" the man surprisingly talkative. "An angel, a demon, an illusion?"

"I am a Valkyrie," Sonata replied. Her first Einherjar was definitely an amusing one. "I have come here to gather souls of warriors and..."

"A-ha!" the battle-maiden was promptly interrupted by a loud exclamation. The man in front of her was now frantically searching his pockets for something. "A chooser of the slain... Collecting souls..." A pocket-sized memo pad and a pencil emerged and the Einherjar began quickly taking notes.

"What are you?!" there was no word to describe the Valkyrie's surprise. For one, this was extremely random, two – where did he get those writing utensils?! Apparently, he was attached to then and/or used them very often, but that didn't explain how they became part of his new form.

"Are other Valkyries (naturally, if such exist) just as short?"

"I... Uh... What?!"

"Sorry," the writer laughed. "Just kidding."

Yes, this was going to be an interesting experience for both of them...

The sun had already set by the time the Einherjar exited the house.

_"Before I join you... Can you grant me one favor?"_

_"It depends."_

_"Can you allow the kids to see me for... half an hour? Please."_

Although at the time she didn't understand why he asked for such a thing, Sonata decided to grant this wish. To her amazement, the man used his thirty minutes to lead the twins back into the house. She didn't follow him though.

Strangely, realization of one's death didn't have much effect on Albert. The fact that his nephews had witnessed it – now _that _worried him. Both boys were in a strange drowsy state when he noticed them. Did the Valkyrie do this? He would have to ask her later. At that moment there were more pressing matters to attend to. He only had thirty minutes... Scooping up the twins, he took them into the house and scaled the stairs to the second floor. Performing the usual evening routine of 'force two hyperactive six-year-olds to wash and go to bed' had never been so... effortless. Albert knew that this was going to be the last time too... When the two boys were finally tucked in and drifting off to sleep, the writer sighed in relief. Even though he wasted more that half an hour, the Valkyrie didn't seem to mind. At least this proved one thing: he was an ally to her, not a slave.

"Uncle... are you going somewhere?"

If he were still alive, Albert would have held his breath...

"Yes... I'm going far away," he spoke calmly, noting a pair of sleepy eyes watching him from beneath the covers. Without a single word he left the room, carefully shutting the door.  
When the man reached the bottom of the staircase, he stopped. With a silent growl of frustration, he punched the nearby wall... And again... Regaining his composure, the Einherjar continued down the hall and through the back door.

She was waiting for him. A Valkyrie... Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that the old Scandinavian myths were true. He stopped in two feet away from her. The battle-maiden had to tilt her head upwards to see his face. Burgundy-red met dark-blue. An awkward silence followed.

"Thank you," nothing else came to mind. "So... what are going to do now?"

The Valkyrie seemed relieved by this reaction.

"We are going to investigate the nearby woods."

"Sounds like a plan."

The Einherjar looked over the Valkyrie's head, scanning the yard. Spotting his body and, more importantly, the Mähne next to it, he brushed past the young woman and went to pick up the blade. If there were more monsters like the ones he faced... So be it. Warrior or writer – it didn't matter anymore. He will hunt down those freaks and put an end to their existence... Revenge or noble cause – he didn't care...


	2. Chapter 2

There's nothing more sinister than a mid-Europe forest at night. The famous Schwartzwald that brought inspiration to the Grimm brother is a good example. Century old trees, the stagnant but strangely clear air... This is where the witches and evil spirits hide. This is where will'o'wisps lure unsuspecting travelers towards their demise. This is where you begin to fear. What's that? The sound of another pair of steps? But you're alone... Echo? No. They're too clear and too close... And when you stop – they take a few more steps...

Dawn had long since stopped coloring the sky with shades or red and yellow and the only source of light that illuminated their path was a small ball of fire floating a few steps ahead of the Valkyrie. This little display of pyrokinetics didn't phase Albert at all. After being killed by a some undead wolves and getting revived by a goddess... Well, this didn't seem that strange. Not one bit.

"So, let me summarize everything you said," the trek through the woods proved to be a rather boring experience. And former writer Albert Meyer extremely hated being bored. "You're a Valkyrie, sent by a God and Destiny to protect our world from the treat of some ancient undead awakening in the nearest future?"

"Correct," the Valkyrie pacing a few feet ahead was not easily distracted from her goal. Which was simply not to allow the low branches to hit her helmet or get in her face. Who would have thought that the woods would become so thick so close to civilization?

"And now I've become an Ein-what was it again?"

"Einherjar."

"Uhuh," judging by the man's face, he was taking mental notes. "And you've been a Valkyrie for how long?"

"Less than a day."

This statement was followed by a few moments of silence between the two. Albert was trying to digest and match the newly acquired piece of information with what he saw so far. It sure didn't look like the girl (he settled on that particular word because of their difference in height; the Valkyrie barely reached his shoulder) was a beginner... The way she talked and acted had an almost ancient feel to it. It was as if she had a few hundred or even thousand years of experience. This was just... strange. The Einherjar decided to pry further.

"If you're so _young_, then how do you know all..._ this_?"

"I just do."

And so, the conversation came to a screeching halt. Neither Albert nor the Valkyrie spoke any more... Just the sound of two pairs of feet stepping on twigs and kicking up the fallen leaves...

It was strange. Although Albert was barefoot, he didn't feel the cold ground. When he materialized for his new chance at life and duty, he retained the same form he had before being slain. When the writer was at work – comfort was priority number one. On the evening of the _incident _Albert wore his usual plaid shirt and baggy cargo pants, which were perfect for lying on a large sofa with a laptop for extended periods of time.

And the Mähne... It was weightless in his hands now. Even though the writer could lift the blade with relative ease before becoming an Einherjar... This numbness of senses felt disturbing. He _knew _he was walking on pointy small twigs. He _knew _the night was cold. And yet, he didn't feel it completely. It was hard to put to words. Every twig that poked the sole of his foot appeared to be blunt. Even though there was a small cloud appearing every time he exhaled – the ground didn't seem to be particularly cold. Wait... Exhaled? Did he still have the need to breathe?

He died and was revived... But his body remained lying on the ground... But he's here now..? This didn't make any sense. Maybe this was just a dream...? Yes. He probably fell asleep while typing... But the claws of the wolves were felt painfully real... 'But this', 'but that' – Albert was going in circles.

Suddenly, the Valkyrie's voice cut through the silence hovering in the air:

"We're getting closer."

Albert had almost forgotten she existed. Too absorbed in his thoughts that were leading him closer to the brink of madness with every contradiction he encountered, he hadn't noticed the girl's worried over-the-shoulder glances.

"Closer to what?" the writer asked, glad that he had found a distraction of some sort.

"I don't know, but be prepared for anything."

'Anything'... The word left a lot to the imagination. Albert sensed that the Valkyrie herself didn't like the uncertainty and was constructing a plan in case... Wait. Did he just..?

"Yes, you did," for a second, that phrase inflicted temporary brain-freeze.

"You mean you heard all that?!"

Instead of answering, the Valkyrie turned on her heel to face her companion. Taking a few steps to stand right in front of him, she reached out with her hand and cupped his face.

"Can you feel this?"

Indeed. He felt it. The petite hand on his cheek radiated warmth and the writer voiced his observation:

"It's warm."

"And your face is scruffy."

"My... What?!"

This reminded Albert that he forgot to shave that morning. And the morning before... He scolded himself for being lazy, but... Did the Valkyrie attempt humour just now?

This moment was interrupted by a loud noise coming from the direction the two were previously heading. It sounded like a animal's whimper or wail. And that, no doubt, large creature was in pain. Another scream washed over the pair. Upon hearing it the second time, both concluded that no living thing could produce something this terrifying. The Einherjar and Valkyrie looked at each other and, without exchanging a word, rushed towards the source of the sound.

The mental link they had just discovered proved to be a valuable asset. _Are you ready for this? _Of course he was ready. _Lead the way, Valkyrie. _And she ran faster. _Sonata. _He raised an eyebrow. _Sonata? _She chuckled. _My name. I hadn't introduced myself and you kept referring to me as 'Valkyrie' or 'girl'. _Well, that would make conversations a bit easier.

The trees became more and more scarce and a clearing became visible ahead. Albert's grip on his double-bladed sword tightened. For some reason he was excited. Maybe it was his companion's thoughts echoing in the back of his mind? He would have to figure that out later. Right now, he had discovered another thing. He had a real body. An unusual body, but a body none-the-less. The pounding of his heart, the pulsing blood, the rush of adrenaline. Even if this wasn't caused by his own perception of danger, even if this was just and echo of his saviour's nature (she was called a _battle maiden _after all)... So be it. It felt _right_. And if at one point he would become addicted to this sensation...

Y_ou are frightening. _Again, the link between two minds worked like a charm. But before the slightly embarrassed Einherjar could think of a reply... _And I like it. _There should be a word to describe an emotion between 'W_hat the hell?!_' and '_I'm beginning to like where this is going_'. Albert was desperately digging through his memory to find it...

The forest ended abruptly and they both came to halt. The sight before them was no less that awe inspiring. A large clearing in front of them was covered in deep trenches with dozens of squirming tentacles, no, _roots _protruding from beneath the ground. In the middle of it all – an enormous, presumably a few centuries old, oak tree.

_The heart of this land... _This was it? A heart is something that supported life, something that should be full of life. This atrocity was far from that. It was just _wrong_.

_It_ was alive and wringing in pain, suffering. And _it _felt the light approaching. A light that will end its torture. _It _responded.

One half pleaded for purification, one half wanted to extinguish the light. Unfortunately, the later was stronger. The ground shook, uncountable snake-like roots emerging.

At this precise moment, the night sky cleared and silver streaks of moonlight rained upon the battlefield. _It _became clearly visible, even the smallest details could be seen by the two warriors anticipating an attack. _It _was a corpse. The once so-called 'king of the forests' was rotting. No longer did its crown of leaves whisper in the breeze. Naked branches and a trunk ridden with scars and naturally impossible deformation were revealed by the moonlight.

A root launched itself at its target, aiming to squeeze the life out of the Valkyrie. It was intercepted and easily cut off by the blade of Albert's Mähne. More roots followed only to meet the same fate.

Sonata didn't waste time. A golden mist appeared at her feat. The Valkyrie chanted a spell she never learned, but simply _knew_:

"Fire Lance!"

With a single wave of her hand, three projectiles of pure crimson flames shot out from the air in front of her. A few tentacles were instantly incinerated, leaving only ash behind. This display of sorcery proved to be pointless, because more more limbs tore through the surface of the ground.

The corrupted core only, although sentient, wasn't exactly intelligent. All of its attacks were aimed only at one target. It was as if the entity gave into panic and only saw one thing: the being manipulating the ether with such frightening ease. It ignored the Valkyries comrade, allowing him to deflect each and every onslaught of deadly roots.

The pair's movements resembled that of two leaves being carried by gusts of wind. One leaf, bright red, slowly moving along, swaying only the slightest bit, reflecting the sun's rays. The other one – dancing around the former, taking on the currents of air that might disturb his companion's flight.

_Can't your magic or whatever hit the trunk from here?_

_The roots are in the way._

Magic, although long-ranged and flexible in terms of use, had a few limitations. The two basic types of offensive spells the Valkyrie could _remember _were ineffective in this situation. A projectile flame was easily intercepted by the numerous roots. A pin-point burst was impossible to aim either – too many distractions were in the way, hindering Sonata from focusing on the main body of the tree. It was time for a change of tactics.

Without warning, the Valkyrie summoned her wings and took to the sky. Pinions of pure ether lifted her upwards and towards the heavens. Instantly, all incoming attacks changed their trajectory and followed her.

_It's time you learned of an Einherjar's true abilities._

And so, knowledge on how to utilize the ether and the Yggdrasil's blessing was forced into Albert's mind. The man was dazed for a few moments by the sheer amount of information flooding through the mental link between him and the Valkyrie. Not a pleasant experience.

Sonata, while the Einherjar remained paralysed because her initiative, flew out of the root's range and remained suspended high above the ground. The cluster of tentacles below her shifted and squirmed in a futile attempt to reach their target. From her point of view, the Valkyrie could see Albert pacing towards the oak, swaying and wobbling as if he was drunk. It was a mistake to entrust him with such a large quantity of information all at once. How could she forget the man's mental state? This miscalculation on her part might have an absurdly high cost – her Einherjar's sanity.

Finally, Albert reached his goal. _Ey, Valkyrie! What am I supposed to do now? _A reply followed immediately. _Cut it down. I'll do the rest. _Simple as that? The Einherjar probed his newly acquired knowledge for _anything. _Channelling a flux of ether through an object... That didn't look too complicated. The man held his weapon horizontally in front of him and concentrated. Sonata had been throwing fire left and right, so something simple as this shouldn't be hard to accomplish. In a blink of an eye, the Mähne glinted in the moonlight: an eerie blue spark dancing on the very tip of the blade. With one familiar movement, Albert drew his weapon back, preparing to swing it at full force...

Above the ground, Sonata followed her Einherjar's every move and when he was finally ready to strike – the Valkyrie held her breath...

Albert could feel something flowing through his body and into his weapon. So this is how 'magic' felt like? It was overwhelming... Raising the Mähne higher and over his right shoulder, the former writer dug his feet deeper into the soft ground for support. Like an uncoiling spring, he bought the weapon down diagonally, twisting his upper body for a wider arc. The spark, which had previously been only on one of his weapon's blades, consumed the Mähne completely...

_It _let out a scream of agony. Something had cut through it's body, severing the entire upper part from the base. _It _forgot about the threatening source of purifying light hovering in the sky. Something sharing the same quality had been so close? Too late now. _It _was defeated and... free. The gargantuan mass of wood dislodged from its root system and fell, sending a shockwave along the ground. The snaking roots became lifeless in an instant...

As for Albert – he never saw the result of his work. Just like the grand oak, he staggered backwards, suddenly forgetting how to stand and fell... The last thing he remembered before darkness overcame him was his Valkyrie's words. This time, they didn't sound in the back of his head:

"Return to me..!"

* * *

He was floating... Somewhere with no boundaries... Warm... Did he die again? _No. _If Albert had a body at the moment, he would have sighed in relief. _What happened? _Instead of another mental reply, he felt like we was being pulled by something... And then – he blinked. The world he was so used to had appeared around him again.

There she was – Sonata. She was right in front of him. They were in the middle of a field. Endless plains of green were surrounding them. In the distance – hills of the same emerald tone could be seen.

"Where are we?" the Einherjar asked after a quick survey of the surrounding scenery.

"Ireland," the girl in front of him spoke calmly. "Somewhere in Westmeath, if I'm not mistaken."

Albert didn't even bother asking _how _they ended up there. Apparently, the Valkyrie had carried him... From Schwartzwald to here?!

"I would like to apologize to you," great, as if a geographic anomaly wasn't enough. Why was the battle maid talking about? "I made a few mistakes, which..."

The Einherjar gave her an inquisitive look, ushering the girl to continue. For some reason, she had begun acting a but _too _human. Where was that confident attitude of hers?

"It was foolish of me to implant the skills of ether control into your unstable psyche," the man noted that the Valkyrie was honesty feeling remorse. "And, at the very beginning, I had made a miscalculation when materializing you..."

This was harder to believe that the part about the ether-thing.

"Continue," for a second, Albert felt like he was back at home, asking his nephews about the painting, which 'magically' fell from its place on the living room wall.

"When I gave you this form, I had to use a part of my own soul..."

"And?" Albert didn't see any reason for concern. "I'm moving, breathing and our telapathic network is..."

"That's the problem!" apparently the Valkyrie's patience had come to an end. "It _shouldn't _exist!"

Both stared at each other with opposite expressions. Exasperation and confusion...

"This 'connection' isn't normal," she really didn't care about the slightly incorrect wording. Albert was her first Einherjar, so she only knew about the mistake because it disagreed with her 'Valkyrie-knowledge pack'. "I used too much of my own soul, practically fusing it with yours. This is why we have the mental link and... and..."

Albert was having a hard time getting his head around this new batch of information. The Valkyrie had made a mistake this serious-slash-obvious? OK. What. The word 'what' wasn't a question, more like a status-report.

"So, is there anything else I should know?"

And so, Sonata began her explanation. Her Einherjar found himself being the listener instead of a storyteller. The Valkyrie's voice sounded calm and clear in the fresh air of the field. As the two walked, words were exchanged and phrases were traded between them.

The girl told him about the basics of a Valkyrie's job. How she had found him. About the melodies of souls, that she could hear without even trying.

Apparently, the state of an Einherjar was closer to one of a lesser god than a human. Well, a very weak god, but who knows? With some training and a bit of effort – Albert could be able to surpass his own limits. The man laughed at this. And the Valkyrie admitted that she was trying to lighten up the atmosphere.

The Valkyrie didn't talk much about herself. Her awakening was still incomplete and human memories were branded with minimal priority. She did remember one thing though. It was just a small detail, a slightest bit of her own character... Although... She decided to keep it to herself. She had an image to uphold. What was left of it, that is.

The most interesting part – how they ended up so far from the heart of Schwartzwald. Albert was having a hard time imagining it though. So, the Valkyrie had absorbed him into her own soul and flew across the country until he awoke. That's how it felt, huh? Being enveloped by warmth and the feeling of tranquillity...

"Was there a particular reason..." Albert trailed off intentionally. Without much of a delay, an imitation of his voice continued:

"...why you took us here?"

It was strange. Their thoughts resonated, but it didn't feel uncomfortable. There was another possible Einherjar somewhere nearby. And that was their cue...


End file.
